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(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 1.

P. MARIX.

INDIGATING AND REGISTBRING APPARATUS E011 METERS.

N0. 558,736. Patented Apr.. 21, 1896.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. MARIX. INDIGATING AND REGISTBRING APPARATUS FOR METERS. No. 558,736. Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

f6? f m1/W g@ y MWW N DREW BHANAM, PHOTO-UDIQWASHINGTON. D C

(No Model.) 4 sheetssneet s.

P. MARIX. INDIGATING AND REGI'STEMNG APPARATUS POR METERS. No. 558,736. Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

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(NO ModeI.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

P. MARIX. INDICATING AND RBGISTBRING APPARATUS FOR METERS.

Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

ANDREW BLRANAM. PHOTOIJTNILWASMINGTOM` D.C.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

.PAUL MARIX, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

IN DICATING AND REG ISTERING APPARATUS FOR IVI ETEFS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,736, dated April 21, 1896.

Application filed December 27,1995x Serial No. 573,518. (No model.) Patented in FranceApril 5,1894,No. 237,555, and May 18,1894,No. 238,606; in Luxemburg October 13,1894, No. 2,142; in Belgium October 15, 1894, No. 112,250; in England October 20,1894,1\lo. 20,046; in Spain October 20,1894,N0. 37,473, and in Austria December 8,1894,No.44/6,322.

To @ZZ when?, t may con/cern:

13e it known that I, PAUL MARIX, of Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Indicating and Registering' ApparatusA for Meters, which is fully set forth in the following speciiication, and for which I have obtain ed foreign patents as follows: in France, No. 237,555, dated April 5, 1804, and No. 233,606, dated May 18, 1894; in England, No. 20,046, dated October 20, 1894, in Belgium, No. 112,250, dated October l5, 1894; in Luxemburg, No. 2,142, dated October 13, 1894; in Spain, No. 37,473, dated October 20, 1894, and in Austria, No. ttt/6,322, dated December 3, 1894.

This invention has reference to indicating and registering apparatus for meters, duc.

Counting apparatus or meters of all kindssuch, for instance, as instruments for measuring time, (clocks, watches, &c.,) meters for measuring volume, (such as water, gas, and the like meters) machines for counting revolutions and the like-as well as registering apparatus of all kinds are designed to effect measurements of continuous working over indefinite periods. For instance, the watch indicates the continuous passage of hours, minutes, and seconds. The gas-meter shows in the same way the continuous passage of cubic 'feet of gas-that is to say, the volume passed from the moment it is started to work up to the moment at which it is inspected. lVhen it is desired to determine the amount of the operations during a given phase or period, the operator notes down the amount indica-ted by the meter at the commencement and at the end of the phase or period, or of the operation which it is desired to measure, and the desired result is obtained by means of subtraction. Now that mechanical action is replacing more and more individual labor, it would appear desirable to obtain this estimation of the amount automatically by mechanical means. The chronograph follows out this idea to a certain extent, since it indi Cates mechanically the commencement and the end of given phases or periods; but such indications cannot be obtained automatically because the actions of stopping, of returning tozero, and of again starting the machine are dependent on only one driving mechanism. M y researches have led me to recognize that the automatic indicating aforesaid cannot be conveniently obtained if the stopping, returning to zero, and restarting of the ma chine necessary for taking an indication and the measurement of any operation whatsoever be effected by more than two distinct mechanisms. To carry out this system, ordinary measuring devices are specially changed into block indicators or registers, so that a reading of the indication, or of the registering of the measurement of partial operations from the commencement, can be automatically obtained. Owing to the similarity of the present system with the railway block system this system may be called the blockcontrol77 system. The block indicator-registers consist of measuring instruments or apparatus-such as watches, clocks, gas and water meters, &c.-controlled by two distinct mechanisms hereinafter referred to as Nos. 1 and 2, as will now be described.

The mechanism No. 2 (which checks or controis the working) has for its object to automatically indicate or register by means of a marker partial operations, while at the same time iixing the commencement of recording by bringing into action an arrangement and recording this commencement on a dial or the like or by returning to the commencement or zero of the scale the indicating parts, so as to allow of each partial operation being read afresh, whether in course of work or by unblocking simultaneously the working of mechanism No. 1, if it has been previously blocked.

The mechanism No. l (stop mechanism) has for its object to automatically supply an indication or registration of the end of a par tial operation by setting in action an arrangement which checks or stops the movement of the meters and registering apparatus, the work of which is thus rendered intermittent.

By way of example there will be taken a time block indicator-register having its own movement, said indicator-register having for its object to give a determination or account of the time7 which has expired during operations of variable duration. This appara- IOO tus is made by changing a timepiece (such as a watch, clock, the.) into a block indicatorregister.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is an elevation of a clock mechanism, the casing having been removed, to which my invention has been applied, the parts being in a locked position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts unlocked. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a det-ail. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of Fig. l on a smaller scale, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device shown in the complete instrument. Fig. is an elevation, the outer casing being removed, of an electromagnetic driving mechanism to which my invention is applied. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. G. Fig. 8 is an edge view showing the devices for indicating the operation on the chart er diagram-paper. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the complete instrument, and Fig. l0 is a detail.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. l to 5, inclusive, will first be described.

The motor-movement is similar to that of a timepiece with a balance movement, (such as is used for ship-clocks.) On the minutearbor is frictionally mounted a minute-hand made in one piece with a cam a, of a heart shape, and with a disk l), having a pin c. The hour-hand is replaced by a disk d, Fig. 5, the circumference of which carries the hours, and said 'disk is frictionally lixed on an arbor c, connected to the minute-arbor by a train of wheels, and is provided with a jumper mechanism which causes it to advance a twentyfourth of a rotation at each complete turn of the minutc-hand-that is to say, at every hour.

The disk d is divided into twenty-four hours, and can make only one rotation every twenty-four hours. An aperture arranged in the dial-plate in front of the disk CZ exposes the hours indicated on this disk one by one as the disk rotates.

The jumper mechanism is constructed in the following manner: A lever f,pivoted at f', is engaged by a spring f, which constantly presses it from right to left. Said lever has at its free end a nose, which constantly lies in the path of the pin c. A lever g is pivoted on the lever fand carries on one of its extremities a weight g,form in g a counterweight, which tends to constantly raise the other extremity, which is slightly hooked or forked. A wheel h,provided with twenty-four pins projecting laterally from its rim, is fitted on the arbor e, an d the forked end of the lever g bears upwardly against these pins. A heart-shaped cam t' is mounted on the arbor c and is only movable with the disk d. At each rotation of the minute-hand the pin c of the disk l) will encounter the nose of the lever j', forcing the latter back against the action of the sprin g f and the lever g, carried by the lever f, will thus slip under the pins of the wheel h, passing from pin to pin and engaging behind each owing to the action of the counter-weight g.

Each time the lever f escapes from the pin c it returns sharply to its normal position under the action of the spring f. In this return movement said lever draws the lever g withit, thus causing the latter to sharply push the pin-wheel 7L, and thus advance said wheel one twenty-fourth of a rotation, thereby advancing the hour-disk to the same extent.

In order to control the movement of the pinwheel h, and consequently of the disk CZ, so that the numbers may be visible always at the center of the aperture in the dial-plate, a stop-catch is combined with the pin-wheel 7L, which catch is formed of a lever L, carrying at one end a small roller, which lever, under the action of a spring 7L, always presses its roller against and between two pins of the pin-wheel.

The mechanisms Nos. l and 2 act in the following manner: A leverj, pivoted atj', has its upper end termin ated by an arm k, which lies below the button A of the mechanism l, and said lever has another arm, which carries a small roller 7u. A spindle Z, arranged on the leverj, passes through an opening in the plate which carries the whole mechanism and is provided at its end with a flexible arm l', the end of which lies a little above the balance m of the clock-movement. A spring a, furnished with a V-shaped tooth fa', presses said tooth on the spindle Z. A pivoted lever o, held up by a spring r and situated in the plane of the lever j, carries at its free end a roller o', riding on the cam a. Said lever o also carries a second roller 0", riding on the cam t'. A tooth p is formed on the lever 0 and lies in the plane of the roller 7s of the leverj. A lever q, carrying at its end a roller q, bears with said roller on the lever o. The button M of mechanism No. 2 acts directly on the lever q. Behind the second plate of the frame is a disk S, on which is placed a card to receive the registering-diagram. This disk Sis operated directly from the barrel of the motor-train by means of an intermediate wheel S. This disk makes one rotation every twenty-four hours. Fixed on the pivot-spindle of the lever 0, which passes through the two plates of the frame, is a marker t for tracing the registeri11g-diagram. This marker moves with the lever 0. A barrel operates the clockwork in the ordinary manner, the minute mechanism moving the minute-hand, and the hours being indicated, as before described, by a disk turning intermittingly and presenting the hours successively at the aperture in the dial-plate. The disk is operated in the manner described above.

Vhen the button A is pressed by hand, the entire movement of the apparatus is locked, as shown in Fig. l. Vhen the button M is pressed by hand, the movement is unlocked, as shown in Fig. 2, and consequently the apparatus is set going, and at the same tim e, as will be hereinafter explained, the indicating parts (being the minute-finger and the hour- IOO IIO

disk) are returned to the Zero or commencement of the scales and a short mark is made on the diagram-card independent of the normal indicating-line registered, and said short mark indicates the commencement of registering a fresh period of work. The above motions are effected as follows: lVhen the button A of mechanism No. lis pushed down by hand, the arm 7.; is depressed, causing the lever to swing on its pivotj. In its movement the leverjdraws with it the shaft Z and the flexible strip Z. This latter then exerts an oblique pressure on the balance m of the clock-movement, and thus locks the movement. During its movement the shaft Z has passed from right to the left of the V-shaped tooth n', causing the spring n to spring up and down again. The shaftZ and the strip Z are therefore retained in their former position by the tooth n, which now lies to the right of the shaft. On the strip Z being withdrawn from the balance this balance will easily rebound and again resume its motion. lt need not therefore be feared that the clockmovement will remain stopped after the unlocking of the balance, as would have taken place if the pressure were simply vertical instead of oblique.

The mechanism No. 2 causes the apparatus to resume work witha return of the hourdisk and minute-hand to the commencement or zero of the scales. For this purpose the button M is depressed by hand, and thereby pushes the lever q downward, so that the roller q' bears on the lever o, which latter is also pushed downward. The lever o in its descent returns the lever j to its first position. ln fact, the tooth p on the lever o in its descent encounters the roller Zt', carried on an arm of the leverj, and, owing to the inclin ed shape of said tooth, returns the lever j, and therewith the flexible strip Z, carried on the spindle Z, which latter passes to the right side of the V-shaped tooth n', the spring 'n yielding to allow the spindle Z to pass the tooth. Thus the clock-movement is unlocked and the whole again set to work. Simultaneously with the above movements the two rollers o o exert pressure on the two heartshaped cams a and z', respectively, and cause them to turn until said rollers sit on the deep part of the cams. The minute-hand and the hour-disk operated by said cams are thus returned to Zero or the commencement of the scales. At the saine time the marker or pencil f, which moves with the pivot-spindle of the lever o, is lowered and marks on the diagram-card a line indicating the commencement of registering a fresh period of work. As soon as the mechanism No. 2 is returned by releasing the button M the heart-Canis are liberated by the spring r, which returns the lever o to lits rst position. The marker or pencil t is drawn upward simultaneously to the position of the normal registering-line on the diagram-card.

In the above example the two mechanisms Nos. l and 2 are entirely distinct and are controlled directly by operating by hand either one or other of the push-buttons. They may, however, be controlled by the intermediation of a lever and chain, if such be deemed necessary, to facilitate the work for which the apparatus is intended, or the mechanisms may be controlled from a distance by combining them with the armature of electromagnets.

In the aforesaid example the diagram is represented by a simple disk, on which a pencil traces the record 5 but a cylindrical surface may be employed, on which graduated diagrams may be arranged, whereon the pencil or marker Z will record the operations in a similar manner.

In order that the record may be traced to a larger scale to facilitate the reading, two connected cylinders may be employed, on which the diagram-band is wound in the same way as a drivin g-belt, thus obtaining a greater eX- tent of recording-surface. There would then be larger scales on which the marking-pencil would be readily visible. Finally, if it be desired not to change the diagram too frequently, the diagram-paper could be extended and wound on rollers in an analogous manner to that of the Morse telegraph apparatus.

The time block indicator-register which has been described above may, instead of being actuated by a winding-up mechanism, receive its motion by means of electricity from a clock placed at a distance, like the known system of electric clocks.

As a second example, a description will now be given of a block indicator-register actuated by an electrical receiver instead of having its own motor-movement and controlled by the two mechanisms, as before explained. This apparatus is composed, essentially, as in the first instance, of indicating and registering parts actuated by an ordinary minutewheel having a suitable movement, which engages and disengages with the meter-wheels. The parts are set to the commencement or zero of the scale, and the start is marked on the diagram-card, as in the previous example, by the action of the mechanism No. 2, which at the same time sets the apparatus in operation. The stoppage is effected by mechanism No. l, with, however, the simple difference that instead of locking and unlocking of the movement the parts are in this instance engaged and disengaged with the principal movement, (as by breaking the electrical circuit.)

Referring to Figs. G to l0, the units or minute hand (supposing we are considering a timepiece) is situated on the arbor of the clockwork inthe ordinary manner,which need not be described here. The hour-hand moves over a small dial on the larger one and is fixed on an arbor e, actuated by a jumper mechanism which causes it to advance a cog at each complete rotation of the minute-iinger. This jumper movement, the mechanism of which it is not intended to claim, is

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analogous to that described in the before-described example and is shown on the drawings; but a description of it is not given here for the sake of brevity. The two iingers are cach connected with a heart-shaped cam a and t, which move with them. The mechanism No. 2 is formed of a push-rod M, which bears against a levero,whichaspring fr' tends to constantly raise. This lever carries three rollers 0, o, and p3, of which the two rollers 0/ and oH lie in the plane of the two cams a and t' and exert a pressure on said cams when the lever 0 is depressed by the push-rod M. This pressure has for its object to impart to the two cams a and t' a rotation until the two rollers o and o have moved to the deepest part of the two cams. rThis rotation of the cams is transmitted to the hands, which are thus brought to the Zero or commencement of the scales. At the same time the roller p3 encounters the lug 7c3 of the electrical disengaging stop-lever j, as will be seen later on, and this roller coming in contact with the lug 7c has for its object to push the lever j backward and to thus close an electric circuit.

The way in which the stoppage is produced by the mechanism No. l will now be described. The lever j ends in a nose of a special form, against which the push-rod A bears, and car ries, moreover, a spindle Z, passing through the movement frame-plate,under which pin is depressed a il-shaped tooth n, carried by a spring n, which tooth engages the spindle Z. On the nose of the lever j is iixed a curved piece m3, which passes behind the plate and carries a contact m', adapted to bear on a binding-screw m" of an electric circuit, the current of which actuates the electromagnet of the receiver. This screw m is perfectly insulated electrically, and a current consequently can only traverse the magnet when the contact-piece m bears against it. lVhen the position of the leverj is such that the spindle Z is situated to the right of the `V-shaped tooth n', contact takes place and the apparatus is in operation; but if by pressure on the button A the lever 7' swings so as to carry the spindle Z to the left of the V-shaped hook n the contact fm of the curved piece m3 is removed from the screw m, and the electric circuit being thus broken the receiver is disengaged from the meter, which imparts its impulse to it. The apparatus is thus stopped. lVhen, however, the roller p3 of the levero turns the lever j to its iirst position, as hereinbefore explained, the contact is restablished, and thereby the indicating devices are returned to the commencement or Zero of the scales and the apparatus simultaneously set to work. The recorded diagram is obtained in the same manner as in the previouslydescribed example, there being in the present instance on the same arbor as that of the units-hand a cylinder s, on the surface of which the paper marked with the scales or graduations is suitably arranged. It is on this paper that the diagram is registered. The pencil or marker t bears against said cylinder and may be moved at right angles to the direction of rotation of the cylinder. For this purpose the pencil or marker t is pivoted at t on a bracket iixed to the frame-plate. A spring w retains the pencil-holder against a rod u, which slides through a perforation or socket u/ in the plate U and carries a little roller u, with which engages a cam t, formed on the lever o. A hole is made in the second plate U2 to allow free passage to the roller a. Under these conditions each time the button M is operated the lever o is depressed, the cam u moves past the roller u", and the pencil is drawn to the left by the spring w drawing the rod u against the cam-face, and a short line is thus traced on the diagram, thus indicating the commencement of a partial operation. As soon as the button M is released the lever o, under the action of the spring r, returns to its normal position and the pencil is consequently pushed by the cam t* back to its original position. It must be understood that the diagram can just as well be recorded on a disk as in the iirst-described example or on a band arranged as in the Morse apparatus, the.

It is also to be understood that the two mechanisms Nos. l and 2 can equally well be controlled from a distance by the push-buttons being operated by electromagnets instead of being operated by hand; finally, that the mechanism for returning to zero by means of heart-shaped cams can be replaced by springs or other arrangements.

The minute mechanism of the block indicator-register, instead of being operated or stopped and started by a force such as electricity, water, dce., may be simply operated by a transmitting mechanism having meterwheels with a continuous movement, and engagement and disengagement being made by means of a transmitting mechanism, for example, or by geared wheels if the distance which separates the lever indicator-register from the meter be not too great.

The apparatus just described, in place of acting as a time block indicator, can act as a kilometric or volumetric (for gas, water, dac. block indicator-register, it being sufficient that the contacts which drive the indicating parts be replaced by the wheels of a gasmeter, dsc.

To sum up in a general manner, the mechanism No. l checks or stops the movements either by locking the parts, as in the first-described example, or by disengaging the parts, as in the second example. The mechanism No. 2 sets the parts in motion and simultaneously draws to zero or commencement of the scale the hands (it they are movable) or the dial (if this is movable) and marks on the diagram card or band a mark indicating the start. The function of the mechanism No. 2

is to return the indicating organs to zero and to produce a starting-mark on the diagram while the apparatus is working, (the movement not having been stopped by mechanism No. 1,) and that in such a manner that the drawing to zero or the indication of the start can never be effected by the mechanism No. 2 without the indicating parts or the diagrams continuing or taking up, at the same stroke, their work to start from the Zero of the scales and from the said indicating-mark of the start. rlhe returning to zero can be effected by the action of a lever on cams, as has been hereinbefore described, or by barrels adapted to draw backward the fingers or the dials, or in any other usual method. The two mechanisms Nos. l and 2 can be arranged on any measuring or counting apparatus, which will then come under the category of block indicating-registers described in the first example, or they may be arranged on supplementary apparatus without their own movement, as described in the second example. in all these cases it will be understood that as mechanisms Nos. l and 2 have inverse actions it may be advantageous or desirable in certain cases that the operating ot' the two mechanisms should be compulsorily alternative. Nothing could be more simple than the working of this apparatus on the principle of the block system of railways, where the operating of one mechanism can only be effected by operating another mechanism to unlock the first.

The mechanisms Nos. l and 2 could be also connected to bells or with separate registering apparatus, so as to obtain results or means of control at a distance, which bells or registering apparatus thus work in unison with the mechanisms Nos. l and 2 automatically at the commencement and at the end of the controlledoperations. The mechanisms Nos. l and 2 could, besides blocking the measurement of the operation, simultaneously block the operation itself-that is to say, control the block indicator-register and the operations of which the measurementis being taken.

By way of example, the block indicatorregister could be used with telephones to determine the duration of the conversation, and the mechanisms Nos. l and 2 besides controlling thc block indicator-register could si-l multaneously therewith open and close the telephone-circuit.

Similarly, in the application to cabs for the purpose of' ascertaining the duration of the hiring period, the mechanisms llos. l and 2 could at the same time operate disks to indicate that the cab is engaged or for hire.

The mechanisms Nos. l and 2 can finally be controlled either manually by handles, levers, chains, dsc., or from a distance by electromagnets. It is evident that when simply indication or registration alone is required for the purpose in view parts of the block indicator-register may be omitted-that is, either the registration parts or, on the contrary, the indicating parts-in such manner Vas to reduce the apparatus to either a simple block indicator or to a simple block register.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. In an indicating and registering apparatus, the combination with an indicatorsuch as a dial and a hand-driven from an apparatus-such as a meter &c.--for indicating the duration of an operation or partial operation thereof, and a diagram card or chart upon which the duration of successive intermittent or partial operations is recorded, of two distinct mechanisms, one for arresting the indicator at any stage of the operation, and the other for returning the indicator to Zero and for starting the same and simultaneously recording upon the card or chart the beginning of a new phase of the operation, substantially as described.

2. In an indicating and registering apparatus the combination with an indicator device-such as a dial and a hand-driven from an apparatus-such as a meter dre-for indicating the duration of an operation or partial operation of said apparatus. a diagram card or chart for receiving a record of the duration of successive intermittent or partial operations of the apparatus, of two distinct mechanisms one for arresting and locking the indicating device at any stage of the operation, and the other for recording upon the chart or diagram the total period of operation, for operating upon the iirst mechanism to unlock the indicating device, returning the same to zero, and simultaneously recording upon the chart the beginning of a new phase of the operation, and for indicating at any time during the operation the extentof a portion thereof, substantially as described.

3. The combinationwith a minute-hand of a suitably-operated clock mechanism and an hour-indicating device driven therefrom, of a diagram card or chart moved by said clock mechanism upon which successive intermittent or partial operations are graphically recorded, a lever for arresting the movement of and locking the clock mechanism, an arbor carrying a marker making contact with the diagram card or chart, a second lever mounted on said arbor, means for moving the iirst lever to arrest and lock the clock mechanism, and means for actuating the second lever to unlock and start said mechanism, for return-l ing the minute and hour devices to Zero, and for operating the marker to indicate upon the chart the ending of one and the beginning of another intermittent operation or partial operation, substantially as described.

et. The combination with a minute-hand of a suitably-operated clock mechanism, and an hour-indicating device driven therefrom, of a diagram card or chart moved by said clock mechanism and upon which successive intermittent operations or partial operations are recorded, a lever actuated by a key for arresting and locking the clock mechanism-as by IOO IZO

1o tions when the second lever is actuated, and

a key for actuating` said lever, substantialbv as described.

In testimony7 whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing; Witnesses.

PAUL MARIX.

Vitnesses:

WM. II. WILLIAMS, CLYDE SHRoPsHnm. 

